ABSTRACT
Suspended particles transported by drinking water were examined to understand their role in deposit accumulation and colonization in pilot and full-scale reservoirs. No pesticides were detected in the deposits but several PAH were identified. Deposits accumulated at a rate of 8 g/cm2/day (29 g/m2/year) over a five month period. Quartz, feldspar, and amorphous iron were characterized in reservoir sediments. Sedimentation of suspended particles, mainly those composed of organic (biological) matter, was incomplete, and was not a key factor governing bacterial accumulation in the deposits (104 to 105 CFU/ cm2). Thus, limiting bacterial nutrients - dissolved organic matter - in treated water should be the only way to control the extent of bacterial colonization of deposits.